GTS Courses

All GTS Firearms Courses require a $35.00 Registration Fee processed after filling out the Class Registration Form and clicking "SUBMIT." If any student is unable to attend their primary class date, all fees will be credited to the next available course.

NRA First Steps Basic Pistol ($75)

“Firearms Instruction, Responsibility, and Safety Training” – This is the National Rifle Association’s response to the American public’s need for a firearm orientation program for new purchasers. Like learning any new skill, there are bad ways, good ways, and then the best ways.

New (even long term) firearm owners are encouraged to take the “first step” of obtaining training, and the NRA FIRST Steps program is designed to provide a hands-on introduction to the safe handling and proper orientation of one specific firearm model. There are three orientations in the program: one for Rifle, one for Pistol, and one for Shotgun.

This is another of the National Rifle Association’s award winning firearm training programs. The course introduces students to several schools of thought on the fundamentals of defensive shooting techniques. Although the course is designed to avoid giving students too much information too fast, or giving them too many choices, the course is not confined to one rigid or dogmatic system. You are going to love this course!

NRA Women’s Basic Pistol ($75)

GTS makes it a point to have the most qualified and approachable female instructors for your consideration. They are passionate about women’s safety, well-being, and the process for learning some of these new principles, concepts, and techniques. This class is focused primarily on safety and proper firearm handling. Even if you would never own a firearm, you most likely know someone who does. Wouldn’t it be nice to be the smartest one in the room regarding firearms safety and proper handling?

Concealed Carry – MN, WI, FL ($100)

GTS does not fool around with this course. We ensure that every student fully and completely understands the State’s standard requirements for qualifying to apply for their Permit to carry. However, we believe that each person who decides to obtain their Permit to carry needs additional information, techniques, skills and understanding to be TRULY prepared. Again, GTS incorporates our specific “principled based” concepts to forge the best Concealed Carry students!

Renewal – Concealed Carry – MN ($75)

As we all know, laws can change; sometimes, too often for us to keep up while we press on and stay the course of our lives. This is a half day class which covers the legal aspects of concealed carry and any changes in the law which may have taken place since last class, last year, or last month! Course completion must be within one year of your renewal application. You can apply up to 90 days prior to your permit expiration date orwithin 30 days after expiration (with a late fee). Failure to apply within 30 days after expiration means you will need to complete a FULL Minnesota Permit to Carry class, again. Also, don't forget Minnesota Dept of Public Safety (DoPS) requires a Live Fire qualification shoot, which GTS will conduct on the day of class!

So, I've completed a Concealed Carry or Permit to Carry class and I am ready to carry my pistol EVERY day for personal protection. Wow...too easy! I must be ready to have a violent criminal attack me, in my car, shoot at me, strike me with a bat, cut me with a knife, sneak up behind me, etc, etc, etc...AND SURVIVE! Right??!! WRONG!!

You know the saying, "I now know just enough to get into trouble." This is a complete understatement. GTS has put together this course for EVERYBODY who holds a valid Concealed Carry or Permit to Carry, regardless of who you may be. We cover practical concepts and principles for every day "carry" life; such as situational awareness, clothing, weapon presentation from concealed locations, verbal commands, personal space firing, injury response, location considerations for cover, concealment, angles and layers, escape and evasion, dealing with law enforcement, and more. You will also leave this course with Practice Drills which you can do daily, weekly, monthly, or on a schedule which fits your lifestyle to maintain your "muscle memory" and "natural" response to potential threats! Stress levels are increased.

Bruce Lee once watched a man release a board mid-air and break it with one hand. And, famously replied, “Boards don’t hit back!” This principled concept is related to firearm personal protection is so much as that ANYONE can pull a trigger and shoot paper at a gun range; however, that in NO WAY prepares the practitioner for the time when the “paper”…SHOOTS BACK! While using AirSoft® type handguns, you will be wearing protective equipment during this course, including a paint ball mask, you will be pointing and shooting at potential threats and you WILL be getting hit yourself. You must be physically fit enough to move quickly in a confined space; move to “prone”, “kneeling”, and “crouching” positions with little effort. Or, if physically challenged, you must be able to think and act quickly to protect yourself as effectively as possible, whether with a cane, a walker, or in a wheelchair! Highly effective principles and techniques will be discussed, demonstrated, and practiced continually! Stress levels are high!

(**Prerequisites)

Intro to Tactical Pistol – This is the beginning for all other tactical firearm levels. If you decide to become a GTS student, you will need to be committed, physically fit around your weapon system (handgun, rifle, shotgun), and mentally prepared to learn what it means to TRULY survive a firearms related incident (Gun Fight!) If you are a Concealed Carry permit holder and HAVE NOT found a training organization to regularly hone the PROPER skills necessary to be able to effectively protect yourself or another from great-bodily-harm or death, then you are a potential PROBLEM, not the SOLUTION. Please,…ensure you are a SOLUTION to a future problem. Our passion is about training

Vehicle Deployment – again, after rapidly reviewing the previous level, we now enter into VERY advanced training and principles. You will learn techniques while injured, single handed reloading and handgun manipulation, alternative shooting positions, team collaboration, Close-Quarters-Fighting, Cover-In-Depth, Car-Jacking protection, shooting within/ through/ around a vehicle, and more!!

Teams – after rapidly reviewing the previous course work, we move on to deliver more advanced concepts, techniques, handgun manipulations, shoot/move drills, cover and concealment, and working with multiple threats AND team mates. Stress levels will be high!

This tactical shotgun course is a skills building course for the shooter that focuses on the fundamentals of shooting, shotgun handling and marksmanship and builds speed and accuracy for the tactical environment.

Home Defense

Having a firearm for home defense is only the beginning. Being able to shoot in a low light, high stress environment is different than hunting ducks or shooting on the range or with your buddies. The most important skill to acquire is defensive tactics such as cover and concealment, searching techniques, room entries, room clearing, tactical movement, lane of fire, and intruder challenging. In addition to tactics, modifications and accessories as well as ammo selection can improve your guns performance.

Now this is where it gets FUN!! We carry handguns concealed because doing so with a rifle is not practical; however, if possible, or if the situation dictates, it is the weapon system we would prefer to utilize…Right?! Again, however, GTS stresses that just because you “grew up” hunting or shooting rifles, does NOT mean that you have the PROPER skills and techniques to use a rifle/carbine effectively for personal protection – especially for home defense. GTS will carefully guide you through the fundamentals so you understand your weapon, as any other tool. You will learn the most effective principles for utilizing your rifle/carbine (along with your handgun as secondary), so it does not become a hindrance. Each level progressively explores the highest caliber principles and techniques which you can obtain as a firearms martial artist! Stress levels are high!